Adjustable fruit-jar holder



(No Model.)

G. W. WEBSTER. ADJUSTABLE FRUIT JAR HOLDER.

Patented 0011.7,1890.

. fHI L 1 R I H] ai l u mm 0 H WITNESSES 7 //v VE/VTOH eozyeWMZser By v a, 1 0% QW I ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES GEORGE \V. WVEBSTER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

ADJ USTAB LE FRU lT-JAR HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 438,043, dated October '7', 1890.

Application filed November 18, 1889. Serial No. 330,770- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WnBsTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Fruit-Jar Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices forholding fruit-jars; and the objects of my invention are'to provide a device of this class by means of which a fruit-jar which is being filled, opened, or closed may be readily grasped and firmly held without the necessity of touching the jar with the hands, to so construct the same'as to admit of the holding-strap being adjusted to embrace jars or vessels of different sizes, and to produce said device in a simple and inexpensive form. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is'a side elevation of my device, showing a fruit-jar supported thereby. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a central horizontal section of the holding device.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

' a and I) represent, respectively, tong or clutch arms, which are pivoted one upon the other slightly in front of the center of their lengths. Each of these arms has its inner face from a point in front of its pivot to its forward end cut away until the width of said forward portion is equal to one-half the width of the central or pivoted portion of the arm. The inner surfaces of the narrow forward portions or jaws c c are made to meet the inner surfaces of their respective bodies by beveled shoulders d. The jaw c of the upper arma is, as shown,thickened downwardly until its lower surface is, when said jaws are closed together, flush with the under side of the jaw c of the lower arm I). The rear ends of the thickened portions of said jaws are beveled so as to conform to and fit closely against the shoulder cl of the arm-bodies when the jaws are closed against each other, thus admitting of the two arms of the clutch bein g closed togetherin compact form, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Secured to the inner face of the jaw c and countersunk therein until flush with said face is one end of a strap e, which, although preferably made of leather, may be formed of other similar flexible material. From the outer end of said jaw c the strap e extends outwardly and returning to form aloop passes into the inner end of and through a slotted hole or mortise f, formed through the jaw c at about the center of its height.

Projecting outwardly from the outer side of the'jaw c, slightly in rear of the mortise f, is a pin g, the outer end of which is bent rearwardly, as shown.

The strap 6 is provided at intervals with pin-holes or eyes. V

The mortise of the jawc is preferably made to pass through said jaw at such incline as to prevent making a sharp turn in the strap in order to thread it through said mortise while a depression is formed in the inner face of said jaw between said mortise and the outer end of the jaw to form a seat for the strap.

The operation of my device is as follows: The strap e is pushed through the jaw-mortise f until a loop is formed by said strap in front of said jaws of a circumference slightly less that the circumference of the jar to be grasped. The projecting hook orpin g is then inserted through the nearest strap-eye to prevent the strap from slipping outward or inward. The jaws c c are then opened or spread apart by opening out the handles 6 or rear portions of the arms a, b, the strap-loop passed downward over and made to encircle the jar at the desired height of the latter, and the said jaws forced toward each other by pressure upon the handles 2'. This closing of the jaws of the clutch will result in the tightening of the strap about the jar, and such pressure may be easily given the clutchhandles as to hold the jar sulficiently rigid to admit of the top being screwed thereon.

or removed therefrom. This method of grasping and holding the jar will be found of great Value in handling jars which are being filled with fruit, in which case the jars are generally too hot and wet to be held in the hand.

It is also obvious that by the herein-described device a much more rigid or firm hold can be had on the body ofthe jar While the top is being screwed on or off than could be possibly attained by the hand, and, as is well known, a firm hold is exceedingly desirable Where there is a tendency of the jar-top to adhere to the jar.

The strap-loop may be readily adjusted to embrace any fruit jar or vessel by causing the pin or hook g to be inserted through the desired one of the strap holes or eyes.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters 15 Patent, is-

In an adjustable fruit-jar holder, the combination, with the pivoted arms a I), having handle z'and jaws c c, said jaw 0 having strapmortise f and projecting hook g, of the strap e, one of its ends secured to jaw o and its remaining end passing loosely through mortise f, and having pin-holes or eyes at intervals,

substantially as and for the object set forth. i

GEORGE W. WEBSTER.

In presence oi:'-

C. O. SHEPHERD, JNo. H. FRAVEL. 

